There’s an App Machine for That

A colleague recently shared a link with a listserve I’m on to App Machine. She succinctly asked: “Designer killer?” I joined the dialogue that followed and offered:

I’ll add a little hindsight…

Q: Did WordPress and Squarespace kill the web designer?
A: Designers today are replacing the need for websites.

Websites are now disposable. Many go live and fade in a matter of months. Ten or so years ago, I frequented a handful of websites. Five years ago, hundreds. (I was a bookmarking wizard!) Today, I’m back down to a handful of sites that I actually visit more than a dozen times. I complement these sites with a few web apps and native apps to keep me connected.

Apps are redefining the browser* and they make the visual design around everyone’s content less and less relevant.

Q: Will AppMachine kill the designer?
A: The tools to create apps will improve much like the tools to create websites. But — they won’t replace designers. They will just fill the space left behind by those crafty thinkers that lead us somewhere new.* The thing and the person.